972209Rewarding Visits Touchpoints in the High StreetClosedSmall Business Research InitiativeInnovate UKRewardingVisits.com is a digital loyalty and marketing platform for retailers. In May it is being used by one of Birmingham's Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) to run its new "Rewards In Sutton Coldfield" town centre loyalty and rewards scheme. It enables neighbouring retailers to collaborate and encourage repeated use of Sutton Coldfield town centre businesses. Retailers use tablets to scan their customers' Rewards cards, or smartphone apps, and build a digital following, enabling them to communicate directly with their customers afterwards. Rewarding Visits wishes to use a "Re-imagining the High Street" grant to research and implement a project to develop the system further, introducing “SCAN & GO” street kiosks in Sutton Coldfield and Birmingham. The aim is to ensure that all retailers are able to join in and that all citizens are able to benefit. Digital schemes have an unfortunate potential to discriminate against non-smartphone users, and by implication, the older or less affluent people within a community. The new SCAN & GO kiosks will, however, enable all high street users to see all the local deals advertised, and be able to print off vouchers to redeem at each retailer's store. Local rewards schemes are often not easily adopted by the popular multiple retailers, due to systems incompatibility. Such schemes inevitably suffer in customer popularity as a result. Most retailers can accommodate printed vouchers however, so by accepting the printed SCAN & GO kiosk vouchers, many more retailers can readily participate. Rewarding Visits has enlisted the enthusiastic help of several organisations. A key partner is the local BID, another is Birmingham City Council, which manages nine more BIDs in the area. Successful market-testing in Sutton Coldfield would pave the way to install schemes at five more local high street communities within Birmingham. Birmingham Metropolitan College, with 5,000 students based at its Sutton Coldfield campus, has offered its HND Design students to become involved through a kiosk design competition. Its BTEC Business & Marketing students will also help devise and undertake a high street user survey, helping shape all generations' requirements for the kiosks. It is an exciting prospect to be involving the next generation. Not only will they be engaged with their local high street's challenges, but also ensure that the older age group is not disadvantaged within their community. Additional partners include the local shopping centre's management, individual retailers, street display component manufacturers and social organisations.